


Love Travels

by Writer_At_Heart



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - After College/University, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Comfort, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Meet-Cute, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Travel, World Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-01
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-13 00:15:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29767791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writer_At_Heart/pseuds/Writer_At_Heart
Summary: Vision signs up for a volunteer program in Sokovia to help rebuild the community before travelling across Europe. When he arrives and meets Wanda Maximoff, he soon realises that it's not about where you go, it's about who's by your side.
Relationships: Wanda Maximoff/Vision
Comments: 8
Kudos: 58





	Love Travels

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I've been a fan of these two for a while now and WandaVision has inspired me to write them in a way that they deserve. Let me know what you think, and if you have any prompts or just want to talk feel free to message me on Tumblr at Writer-At-Heart1 (I'm pretty new to it so come say hi) :)
> 
> There are slight spoilers for episode 8, however I feel like you won't know they're spoilers if you haven't watched it.

Victor had always wanted to travel. Ever since he was a boy he was interested in other places, places that weren’t the orphanage he grew up in just outside of London. He would plan so many trips, research so many countries, to the point where he gained the nickname ‘Vision’ as he envisioned his future in so much depth. But he knew that’s all it would be as he grew older and older with no sign of being adopted, so instead he threw himself into his studies in the hope that he could at least go to university. He sailed through with flying colours, earning a first degree in computer programming and successfully applied for a job at Stark Industries in New York. He wasn’t needed for another two months, Tony Stark himself giving Vision a bit of time to sort out a place to live in the states and also a bit of time to do as he pleased. His boss knew he had just graduated, so wanted to give him some time before he was injected into the working world. Luckily, Vision was put in contact with Bruce Banner, a future colleague, who informed him that he had a spare room that Vision was more than welcome to rent while he searched for a place of his own. It took him three weeks to sort out of the legal requirements, plus getting his work visa arranged. While he waited for that to be approved, Vision thought about the five spare weeks he had. He wanted at least a few days to settle into New York, so he dedicated a week to that.

That left him with four weeks. Vision thought back to when he was a child, to all the places he studied and wanted to visit. Now was the perfect time to turn his dream into a reality. He sorted through his finances, setting aside the money he would need before his first paycheck came in before he started to look at where he wanted to go. He had a few countries listed, but he didn’t know where to start. It was during this planning that he saw that there was a volunteer program running to help rebuild the community in Sokovia. The attack had been earlier in the year and while emergency relief volunteers helped with the immediate requirements, further programs were being run to help build the remaining buildings. Without a second thought, Vision booked his place on the program and booked his flight. He was finally going to live up to his nickname.

\--------

He arrived in Novi Grad a little after four o’clock in the afternoon and made his way to the address that was sent to him via email. The town was still bustling with energy despite the surroundings. Vision had to step over debris every few feet to avoid tripping, but the hope and the positivity he could see on the resident’s faces made him smile too. Made him forget the reason behind the stagnant scent in the air and the ash that was still floating around his head as a result of conflict.

He jolted his backpack up his back and continued, not even realising he had stopped until people started to dodge him like they would an inanimate object. He picked up the pace and made it to his accommodation fifteen minutes later, a run down building that somehow held a lot of promise. Vision checked in and was escorted to his shared dorm where he dumped his bag before he headed back out into the main area where they were meant to meet for orientation. Most of the other volunteers seemed to be slightly younger than Vision, the conversations surrounding him appearing to consist of gap year plans and finally moving out of their parent’s home. He found a vacated seat towards the back and he quickly sat down, preferring to watch from afar rather than engage in over-excited chatter. He took a sigh of relief and pulled out his phone as a distraction more than anything, waiting for their leaders to appear. Vision zoned out as he scrolled through his bookmarked web pages of travelling sites when he first heard her voice. A voice so soft yet rang clear over the white noise of the other volunteers.

“Didn’t fancy talking about all the frat parties you’re going to go to in college?” she asked, and Vision blinked a few times before he looked to his left and into the most beautiful pair of green eyes. He tried to speak, but had to clear his throat to get the words out.

“In England we don’t have frat parties, but even the standard parties I stayed away from” he managed to say, and saw her blink slightly in surprise before she recovered and smiled.

“Thank goodness, I thought I was the oldest here. College grad rather than high school?”

“Yes, I graduated a few weeks ago in computer programming. What about you?”

“That sounds really fancy. I also graduated a few weeks ago, but in psychology” the woman answered and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. Her brunette hair hung in soft waves down to her chest, and Vision couldn’t help but follow her hand as it ran through the ends before twisting the rings on her other hand. “I’m Wanda” she continued, holding out her hand to shake. Vision fumbled and nearly dropped his phone, but he managed to take her hand in his. He just hoped it wasn’t as clammy as he felt. When had it gotten so hot?

“Vision. My name is Victor but people always say I don’t suit Victor and I always had a vision for what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go so… I’m so sorry, I’m rambling” Vision’s voice quietened when he realised he was going into way too much detail to someone he didn’t know. But she giggled when she pulled her hand back, her green eyes glistening.

“Well they’re right, Vision suits you a lot better” she replied, but before they could continue her attention was torn towards the front of the room where people who were clearly supervisors had gathered. Vision turned his body to face the front, albeit rather reluctantly as he would much talk to Wanda.

They went through the guidelines and expectations of the volunteers, and Vision was a little more than thrilled when they received their specific assignments and noticed Wanda had the same. By the warm smile she gave him, she was pleased too. They were then taken into a makeshift dining area, Vision following Wanda like a lost puppy. He wasn't great at making conversation and he hoped that she didn't mind him staying with her. To his relief, she seemed happy to talk to him. While she made small talk with others, she gave him more attention and longer answers, which Vision took as a good sign. They were each given a portion of a cheesy pasta bake; something that could be made in a large batch, but did the job at giving them a full stomach for the night.

"So what's England like? I've never been" Wanda asked, her attention solely on the blonde haired man next to her.

As soon as he sat down next to her she was drawn to him. The way he presented himself, so different from the other volunteers, spoke volumes. She could immediately tell he was older than the others which gave her comfort, and when he spoke in a voice that sounded like honey she was drawn to him in a completely different way.

"England's nice. I haven't explored it nearly as much as I should have, but I guess there's always time for that" he paused to take a bite of his food before continuing. "Where are you from?"

"I currently live in New York, but I'm from here originally" she replied, and Vision instantly picked up on the change of tone. It didn't take a genius to know that what was outside their temporary residence was affecting her in a way he would never understand. While he felt sympathy for the natives that have endured years of violence, she had empathy as she most likely knew first hand what it was like to live during a conflict. Instead of focusing on that, he decided to ask about the first part of her answer, his blue eyes lighting up.

“New York? I’m moving there in a month” Vision told her, and his heart skipped a beat when her green eyes sparkled.

“Really? How come?”

“I’ve got a new job with Stark Industries” his chest swelled with pride anytime he thought about his upcoming job, still not quite believing it himself. And by the wide eyes on Wanda’s face, she was impressed too.

“So you’re super brainy?” she asked as she pushed her plate into the middle of the table, Vision stacking his on top of hers as he chuckled. Wanda looked over at him and smirked as she saw his blushing cheeks.

“I-I’m… OK” he tried to play it down, not liking attention, but Wanda just giggled at his modesty.

“OK? I hope you know how much of a big deal Tony Stark is? As much as he appears arrogant on TV I can’t deny his brilliance” she smiled up at the volunteer collecting all the empty plates, and Vision thanked him before turning his attention back to Wanda.

“I can see how you get that impression. I don’t know, I have a feeling it’s all an act. So do you have any plans after this?” He wanted to know more about her, learn everything there was to learn about her, but before Wanda could answer the room filled with chatter and everyone started to file out of the room. The pair stood at the same time and Vision gestured for Wanda to go first, the brunette tucking her hair behind her ear as she muttered a “thank-you”. Apart from their assigned jobs and times that came with them, the volunteers were free to do as they pleased. That being said, all Wanda wanted to do was sleep. Having travelled all day, jet lag had well and truly settled in, and as much as she wanted to keep talking to Vision she knew she would get moody if she didn’t sleep soon.

“I think I’m going to get an early night, but did you want to meet here tomorrow morning and we can walk over together?”

“Yes, definitely” Vision replied too quickly, feeling the blush creep up on his cheeks. He cleared his throat to try and cover his eager tone, but the smirk on Wanda’s lips suggested she definitely noticed. “See you here tomorrow” he offered a shy smile and watched as she walked off to her dorm. Vision decided to head back to his own dorm, not feeling as confident talking to anyone else. He got ready for bed and climbed in, the springy mattress squeaking under his weight and dipping a bit too low for his liking. But he couldn’t moan, he was here to make a difference and he knew there were others elsewhere who were living on much less. He unfolded his map to try and plan his route after he was done in Sokovia, knowing he had just over two weeks before he had to fly to New York. He planned to use the interrail, and had accommodation booked in Austria with plans to visit Switzerland and France afterwards. He wanted to cover more, but wasn’t sure if time would allow. So far everything fit into place, but Vision, being the organised and cautious man he was, always had a back-up plan for his back-up plan. He could possibly do a loop, add on Belgium and Germany, but he could also head back home before flying to the states. No, he couldn’t go back home. While Vision knew there was logically more to his home country than the city he grew up in, the weight of his experience was too much to even think of the country as a wonderful place. With that thought playing on his mind Vision folded up his map with care, placed it in his backpack and settled down for the night.

As he said he would, Vision was waiting when Wanda walked into the main meeting room just after eight. He offered her a shy smile as he handed over a brown cup, smoke steaming from the top with a tea bag string hanging over the side, and a breakfast bar. She took both gratefully and took the wrapper between her teeth to open it before she said a “good morning” to the blonde. They were both dressed in light clothes that they didn’t mind getting dirty; Wanda in black sports shorts and a washed out red t-shirt, and Vision in grey sweat shorts and a light blue t-shirt. Sokovia was known for it’s bitter cold winters, but in the peak of summer the temperature could get overbearing.

“Good morning, did you sleep well?” Vision asked as they stepped outside, the sun already emitting a warm heat on the city.

“I don’t even remember falling asleep,” she giggled. “But I woke up and noticed how uncomfortable the bed is, so tonight might be a different story. What about you, did you stay up much later?” she reciprocated the question as they made their way to their assignment. Wanda and Vision had been assigned to work on a school located a few blocks away from where they were staying, a place Wanda knew too well so took the lead. It was the first time she noticed how much taller Vision was than her, how his blonde hair glowed in the sunlight and his blue eyes sparkled as he looked down at her to reply.

“The bed isn’t the most extravagant, but it’s more than I could ask for. I didn’t stay up too much later, but I planned a bit more of my journey” Vision explained, almost bumping into her when she went to turn a corner and he carried on straight. He apologised and blushed profusely before stepping back and leaving a bigger gap for her to walk past him.

“You’re travelling after? That’s exciting! Where?” Wanda asked once they fell into step together again.

“I’ve got Austria, Switzerland and France on my list so far. I might add a couple more, but I’m not sure yet”

“That sounds amazing. I’d love to go to those places, and Italy. Venice looks so beautiful and I’d love to go to Pisa just so I could do the cheesy ‘leaning against the tower’ photo” Wanda rambled on as she headed slightly off to the right to throw her cup and wrapper into a rubbish bin.

“I never thought about going to Italy,” Vision said, and for a split second he thought he saw a hint of sadness wash over Wanda’s features. But they were gone and replaced with her beaming smile before he could register what they were. “What do you have planned after this?” Vision could hear the sound of machinery and people talking so he knew his alone time with Wanda was nearly up.

“I’m staying here for a few days and then heading back. I received a scholarship to do my masters so I’ll be cramming for that no doubt” they rounded the corner and sure enough, the site where they would be working for the next two weeks presented itself. The skeleton of the building had been half completed, but everything else was down to them and the other volunteers. They introduced themselves to the lead on the site before they were separated; Vision going to help with the rest of the framework while Wanda started brick laying. At first, Wanda wasn’t thrilled about that decision, however throughout the day she figured out one perk if there was one: Vision looked good while working. His shirt would ride up when he reached above his head to hold a beam in place, revealing a sculpted V shape that left Wanda’s mind vulnerable to imagine scenarios she shouldn’t be imagining while building a wall. The cut of his short sleeves did his arms wonders when he lifted heavy objects, and Wanda pictured for a split second her being enveloped in them. She snapped out of it and concentrated on her assigned task. She’d known him less than a day, it wasn’t appropriate to drool over someone she could barely call a friend.

Vision wasn’t faring much better. Much the same as Wanda, he didn’t feel comfortable being separated from her. They hadn’t known each other long, but he left comfortable with her, and he could almost go as far to say he felt safe with her. Vision had rarely felt safe in his life, always being afraid of not being good enough. If his parents didn’t even want him, who would? But he stole glances over to her when he was holding a beam in place and had to be still for a few moments. Her long brunette hair, showing tints of red in the sunlight, pulled up into a ponytail and being pulled by the wind in every direction, her warm smile, her long legs… Luckily he pulled himself out of it before his mind wandered too far, but it didn’t last long. As he went to pick up a sack of sand he heard her talk in her native language. He could hear her accent when she spoke to him, but he guessed being in America for a few years had made her accent fade. Speaking in Sokovian however, brought the accent back with enough force that it nearly knocked him off his feet. Her voice sung like a lullaby to his ears, and he could listen to her talk in her mother tongue all day long. He had no idea what she was saying to the passer-by, most likely something mundane like the weather or explaining what they were doing, but it was beautiful. She was beautiful, and he had known her for less than twenty-four hours. He needed to get a grip. Vision picked up the bag with a lot more energy than he needed and walked off with purpose, training his brain to focus on the job and the job alone.

\--------

Their routine stayed very similar over the next few days; Vision would always be waiting for Wanda with a cup of tea and a breakfast bar in the morning, they would walk to site and continue to admire each other from afar, then Wanda would become a tour guide and show Vision some of the places she used to go to as a child. The way Wanda spoke about her childhood suggested to Vision that she had suffered a lot of pain, so he never asked her questions. If she wanted to tell him, she would.

A week into their stay, Wanda decided to take Vision on a hike to one of her favourite spots. As a child growing up in a war-torn country, there was rarely a safe place for anyone to go, but Wanda and and her twin brother, Pietro, had managed to find a secluded place halfway up a hiking trail which had a large pond and was mostly covered over by trees. They escaped here when everything became too much, and she was hopeful it had remained untouched. To her delight, it was the exact same. Maybe a little more overgrown, the blades of grass grazing against her calf, but it was familiar and it was exactly what she needed.

"I used to come here a lot with my twin. Not a lot of people knew it existed so we were never bothered" she explained as they made their way to the edge of the water and sat on an old, abandoned log.

"It's beautiful," Vision complimented. He could feel the dampness of the wood slowly seeping through to his jeans, but he chose to ignore it.

"We thought so too" she smiled, clearly thinking of a fond memory. "It's nice to know that this city still has some beautiful places, despite what everyone sees. It feels strange being back. This is my country, and I love it. But I hate what it's suffered, what everyone has suffered by being here" Vision could hear her voice breaking, so desperately tried to see the brighter side.

"You got out though right? You're creating a good life for yourself"

"Yeah, _I_ did" she replied, and the emphasis of the "I" made Vision realise his attempt to make her feel better backfired.

"Wanda, I-"

"Vizh, it's ok" she stopped him, and for a moment he was distracted by the nickname she gave him. A nickname for a nickname, and somehow he only ever wanted her to call him Vizh. That was hers to call him, and he tried to push down the warm feeling that gave him, because now wasn't the time to feel attraction towards her. "I lost my parents in the first war when I was ten. Pietro and I got put into foster care and… let's just say we weren't in the same place for long.

"We were sixteen when we met Clint and Laura. Clint was here for work when Pietro ran into him after stealing food from a market stall. Instead of yelling at him he paid for the food when the owner caught up to them and asked him why. The rest is history I guess" she shrugged before she looked up at Vision with glassy eyes. She rarely shared her childhood, the only person knowing about it outside of her foster family was her roommate Nat. But there was something about Vision that made her feel like she could say anything, that somehow he understood. He looked down at her with those sapphire eyes, patiently waiting for her to finish her story. Her breath shook as she prepared herself for the next part, that part that always hurt the most.

"We lost Pietro three years ago to a drunk driver. It felt like my heart had been ripped out of my chest. My other half was gone in a matter of seconds, and there are days where I get this wave wash over me. It completely knocks me down, and when I finally feel like I'm back up it comes for me again" Wanda's voice cracked, the tears streamed down her face without her realising. She rubbed at her cheeks furiously, almost ashamed to be crying in front of an incredibly attractive man a week after knowing him.

"Don't be ashamed," Vision told her, as if reading her mind. "Unfortunately I can't empathise, as I have never experienced loss. I was left on the steps of a church as a baby and grew up in an orphanage. I’ve had relationships and felt affection for them, however I've never loved anyone, so I've never had a loved one to lose but…" he tried to think of the best way to word it, the least painful way to describe what Wanda felt.

"But what is grief, if not love persevering?" He almost whispered, his voice dropping as if he was scared to say it, scared to make her feel worse than she already did. But she smiled, a watery laugh leaving her lips and she nodded as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ears.

"That's a very beautiful way of describing it. Thank you, I think I'll remember that the next time I have a bad day. I'm usually ok, the days are further apart now, but I think being back here makes it hit harder. The school we're working on? I went to that school. It was the one thing in my routine that never changed, no matter where we lived. I made a few friends that were my own, but they were mostly Pietro’s friends. He was a very charismatic person and definitely charmed a lot of women as we got older" she giggled, feeling like she could finally think about him in a good way since being back in her home country. She soon sobered, remembering the detail that Vision had revealed about himself. “Did you ever have the desire to find your parents?”

“At first I did. Any young child would want to be reunited with their parents if they knew they were alive right? But as I grew older, it started to dawn on me that maybe I wasn’t in a better position than the children who really had lost their parents. Of course some children couldn’t remember, but a lot of the people I grew up with had memories, felt the love of a parent even if it was unfortunately for a short period of time. I never had that. I never knew what it was like to have a mother clean my cuts and scrapes from when I fell over, never had a father who taught me how to tie a tie. And to know that I missed out on those things when I didn’t have to, that I was left without parents by choice… In some ways I feel like that was worse” Vision swallowed the lump in his throat, feeling somewhat silly for getting emotional over something that happened when he was born. He had almost jumped off the log when he felt Wanda’s small hand encase his, not noticing how she had moved closer as he told his story.

“But look at you now, Vizh. You got into college, you’re about to work for Tony multi-millionaire Stark for goodness sake! You’ve done incredible things from nothing, I’ve only known you a week and I’m proud of you” she laughed, and it brought out a deep laughter in him too. He hadn’t laughed like that in a long time, but it felt good. The laughter died down and the pair looked into each other’s eyes for probably a moment too long before Wanda tentatively rested her head on his shoulder. “When you finish travelling and you’re back in New York, did you maybe want to meet up? I could be your tour guide there too” Wanda smiled at him, hope filling her when he beamed back.

“I would love that, it will be nice to have a friend when I move over there” Vision realised that they were still holding hands, and gently squeezed hers as a sign of comfort. He wanted to ask her to join him on his travels, but he knew that would be a lot to ask. Instead they sat in silence, her head on his shoulder and his cheek resting on top, absorbed by the tranquil setting.

\--------

Wanda stood back with the rest of the group and stared in awe at the building in front of her. They did it. They rebuilt her school and made it the safe place it was meant to be. She stood next to Vision and another volunteer, all of them wrapping their arms around each other’s waists as the line of volunteers admired their work. However, Vision was the only one that knew the significance of this milestone, and tenderly squeezed her waist in a gesture to show that he understood, that he was there for her. She looked up at him, his face haloed by the sun, and resisted the urge to kiss him. As the school was coming along Vision knew that seeing it again might bring back memories, so he would always ask her if she was ok, if she needed anything. He was the sweetest person she had ever met, and her little crush on him grew day by day. They had definitely become closer, and Wanda often wondered if he felt the same way. But instead, she mouthed a “thank you” and rested her head on his upper arm briefly before she straightened up and smiled for the photo. Once the school was officially opened they all went back to get cleaned up, and some people started packing their bags to depart the next day. The facility had been generous enough to allow people to stay there before they moved on, as the next group weren’t coming in until a week later, so Wanda and Vision took up this offer and were staying for the next two days before Vision left. Wanda still needed to book her flight home, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Something was telling her not to, to wait and see what developed, but her head knew that she needed to get organised.

Over the next few days Wanda continued to show Vision all the places she used to go as a child. Sadly, a lot of the spots had either been destroyed in the war or were replaced with something else, but it still gave her joy just to reminisce. She showed Vision the spot where Clint first ran into Pietro, where her old apartment used to be, which was now a much nicer apartment complex, and the market that Vision walked down when he arrived. Vision saw Wanda admire a red beaded bracelet and insisted he bought it for her. Wanda only agreed if she could buy him a matching one, so she bought him a yellow one which he put on immediately. On their last night together, Wanda took Vision to a dessert parlour that was built underground in an old wine cellar. When Wanda saw it was still there after all this time she knew she needed to go, and so she saved it for their last night. While the interior had changed and was revamped, Wanda could picture it exactly how it was before. They were seated in a booth and presented with menus, the blonde frowning when it was all in Sokovian. Wanda placed her menu flat on the table and pushed Vision’s down to do the same, going through the list and translating. Vision knew he should have been listening, but hearing her speak in Sokovian still had the same effect it did when he first heard it. He heard the word “pecan” at one point, so we went along with that and ordered a pecan and butterscotch ice-cream while Wanda opted for the wild berry sundae.

“I’m sorry, I wish I knew more languages” Vision blushed as the menus were taken away with their orders.

“Don’t be sorry, it’s not a language people think to learn. You’ve picked up the basics, that’s enough. My parents used to try and bring us here once a month for a treat if they could afford it. I would always have a mental countdown to when it would be time to come again. Pietro would go through the menu and have a new flavour each time, but I always picked something that was red because it was my favourite colour”

“It appears old habits die hard then” Vision smirked while Wanda gave him a slight shrug.

“What can I say? I’m a creature of habit.” They continued to share stories about their childhood, plucking out the good memories from a sea of bad. When their desserts came they fell into comfortable silence, both having a taste from the other’s dish and eventually ended up splitting them both. Once they were finished Vision used his rusty Sokovian to ask for the bill, and Wanda protested when he insisted on paying for both of them.

“You brought me here, it’s only fair I pay” he argued as he left the money on the little plate. They both stood up and Wanda grabbed his hand, lacing her slender fingers through his and guided him out of the building. He could feel her rings digging into his fingers, and it was fast becoming a comforting feeling as they walked through the streets. Novi Grad still wasn’t the safest of places to be, but Wanda sadly knew places that were less in the target zone. A few blocks away there was a little park, it was nothing special but it was relatively quiet and had a few benches they could sit on.

“I wanted to ask you something,” Vision started, his hand going to his neck out of nerves.

“Ask away” Wanda had her full attention on him, her green eyes wide with anticipation. Vision cleared his throat as if it would clear the nerves away, but it did nothing of the sort.

“I was wondering if maybe- you can obviously say no. In fact, you probably will say no but… did you maybe want to come with me? I have all the accommodation booked, so it would be your train ticket and then money for food. I know that’s still a lot but I thought I’d ask” he finally said in a rush, and for a second he saw Wanda’s eyes light up. But that was dashed away seconds later, and she offered him a sad smile.

“I would love to, Vizh. I’d want nothing more…”

“There’s a but coming isn’t there?”

“But I can’t. I didn’t really budget for anything else after a few extra days here. Where you’re going sounds like an absolute dream, but I don’t think I can afford it, and I really wouldn’t want to ask Clint and Laura for money. They’ve already done so much for me, I can’t ask them for anything else” she explained with her head down, almost scared to look at him.

“It’s ok, I knew it was a long shot. We haven’t known each other that long, and like you said it’s not exactly money you can pluck out of thin air” he chuckled, trying to mask the hurt in his voice. But Wanda grabbed hold of both his hands and turned to face him, their knees brushing together as she did so.

“I want to go, I really do. This has nothing to do with us not knowing each other that long or anything to do with you. In fact I think you’d be the perfect travelling partner” she giggled. “I just don’t think I can ask for more than what I’ve already done”

“That’s fair. I’ll just have to show you photos when I’m back” he smiled then, knowing it wasn't personal that she wasn’t coming.

“Yes please, I really want to see them.” They stayed in the same position for a few moments before it was Wanda’s turn to be nervous. “Would you mind if we go to one more place before we head back? I’m sure you need an early night so I understand if-”

“I’ll come. Where did you want to go?” Vision didn’t want to lose any more time with her, so would stay up all night if he had to. Wanda stood up and let go of one of his hands, but clutched onto the other as she guided him further away from the city center and into an area Vision quickly came to recognise as a memorial area.

“Novi Grad never was the wealthiest place, and when the first bombs hit no-one could really afford proper burials, so they built these instead and had mass burials. I don’t like the idea of my parents just being a number mixed with a load of other people in the ground, but it was more than what we could ask for.” Wanda’s voice shook as she grew closer to the monument that had her parent’s names on, and her grip on Vision’s hand had tightened. They stopped in front of one and Wanda reached up to run her fingers across the worn engravement.

_Irina Maximoff_

_Oleg Maximoff_

“They would be so proud of you,” Vision said, his voice barely cutting through the silence that surrounded them. Wanda chuckled and wiped a stray tear from her cheek.

“I’m not sure about that, I wasn’t the best child once they were gone”

“But you were a grieving child. No-one could blame you or your brother for acting out. But you made amends, you’re about to get a masters degree in psychology on a scholarship. You came here to rebuild your community. If I’m proud of you, they most certainly are.” He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek, an intimate gesture that made both their cheeks flush with fury. But Wanda leaned into his touch, moved in closer and wrapped both arms around his waist. Vision followed suit and ran his fingers through her long hair in an attempt to comfort her. They stood in comfortable silence for a while longer before Wanda kissed the tips of her fingers and pressed them against the engravement, whispering a term of endearment Vision later found out translated to “when we have each other, we have everything”, which was something her mother would say to her and Pietro if things got tough.

They headed back, hands still entwined, and turned to face each other once they had to split into their rooms. Wanda pulled him into another hug and wished him a safe trip, pulling away and kissing the side of his cheek. Vision also wished her a safe journey, and handed her a piece of paper.

“My itinerary. Best case scenario I was going to give this to you to book your own interrail ticket, but if anything at least I know someone has my plans in case I get kidnapped” he joked, and she laughed as she took the folded up piece of paper.

“I’ll be sure to give the police the best photo I have of you” she went along with it, capturing his bright smile and mesmerising blue eyes like a photo in her mind.

“Goodnight Wanda” it was his turn to kiss her cheek, his lips warm and soft against her skin, before he eventually tore himself away and headed to his room. Wanda headed to hers and flopped on the bed, the squeaks from the springs filling the silence. She reached for the piece of paper and opened it, an extra bit falling out and hitting her face. After her moment of shock Wanda grabbed it and pulled it into view, seeing a train ticket staring back at her. She sat up straight and looked at it again, surely mistaken. It was a ticket from Novi Grad to Vienna, where she knew Vision was starting his interrail journey. Another note was attached, and Wanda’s eyes welled up with tears as she read it:

_Just in case. V_

Wanda moved the pieces aside and looked at his itinerary, the contents pushing her tears over the edge and strolling down her face. He had added Venice and Florence to his stops because she said she had always wanted to go there. He didn’t know if she would say yes, but he still added them for her. Surely she couldn’t head home now after this? She still hadn’t booked her flight home, could she possibly do this? She went onto her phone and mapped out Vision’s journey, but she sighed when she saw how much it would cost her. She would definitely need to borrow money; she had enough for her flight home and could probably afford most nights out for food without having to go into her rent money, but the train ticket was a no go without help. She debated about it for hours, even fell into a fitful sleep for an hour or so before it was two o’clock in the morning and three hours before Vision was leaving. She grabbed her phone and dialled Laura’s number before her mind talked her out of it, and she nearly hung up before her adoptive mother’s voice entered her ear.

“Wanda honey, are you ok? It’s nearly” she could hear Laura move away to check the time and count forward six hours.

“It’s two o'clock,” she told her.

“Exactly my point. What’s wrong?” Wanda hated when Laura or Clint worried over her, so she tried to make light of it.

“Am I not allowed to call you when I want?” she tried to joke, and while Laura amused the effort, she didn’t bite.

“Of course you can, but you’ve always called us earlier. What have you been up to?” She humoured, knowing Wanda will get to the reason behind her call eventually. But if a chat was what Wanda needed right now, Laura would give her that. Wanda went through her day, mentioning Vision as she had since she met him. She tried to be casual about it, knowing Laura would try and imagine something that wasn’t there, but she knew her cover would be blown after what she was about to ask.

“This Vision seems lovely, you’ll have to bring him over when he returns from his travels” Wanda could hear the smile in Laura’s voice and she sighed, knowing that will most likely be wiped off her face when she asked the next question.

“That’s actually why I called. He- he asked if I wanted to join him” she felt that if she lowered her voice it wouldn’t be as bad. She played with a lone thread that stuck out on her blanket, needing her other hand to do something so that she didn’t back out.

“That sounds amazing! Clint get up your online banking, we need to transfer Wanda some money-”

“Woah woah, what?” Wanda’s hand froze on her blanket, her other hand gripping the phone tighter to stop herself from dropping it.

“Honey, I’m assuming this is why you called?”

“It- it was but… Laura I can’t, it’s a lot of money, please forget I-”

“Absolutely not. How much do you need?” Was this actually happening? Wanda took a few moments to gather her thoughts, not expecting to get this far.

“I can pay for my food, and Vision said he already has accommodation sorted so-”

“You better be in twin beds!” Clint’s voice came through the phone at a quieter volume, making Wanda laugh.

“It’s just the interrail. I get a student discount, and it’s slightly cheaper with my dual citizenship. It comes to about $450. Oh god, are you sure? I’ll pay back every penny I swear” Wanda’s tight ponytail had lost its hold as her fingers combed through it so many times.

“Honey, you don’t need to pay us back. If it makes you feel better this can be your birthday present, or birthday and Christmas if you’d rather. But you’re doing this, you need this. You’re going to have the best time” Laura’s warm voice brought a fresh set of tears to Wanda’s eyes, and she had to swallow the lump in her throat to respond.

“I can’t thank you enough. You’ve already done too much for me and now this”

“Kid, we do these things because we love you. We wanted to help you and your brother have the lives you deserved. This is what you deserve, Wanda. Just don’t tell the other three yeah? Otherwise they’ll be asking for everything they _think_ they deserve at Christmas” Clint said, and Wanda just knew he was rolling his eyes.

“It’s transferred, honey. Go and book your train, and tell Vision you like him too”

“What?” Wanda’s question was echoed by Clint, followed by a thump and an “ow!” on the other end of the line.

“You’ve been talking about this boy non stop since you’ve been there. I can hear it in your voice, he’s made you happy hasn’t he?” Laura’s voice was closer, and the sound of movement indicated she had taken Wanda off of speakerphone and moved away from her husband. Laura could always see straight through Wanda, in fact she could see through all of her children. She paused for a moment, thinking about him. About his shy but dazzling smile, the way he waited for her every morning with exactly what she needed, how he held her in front of her parent’s memorial site…

“He does. I was so afraid that being back here I would just feel grief, but he’s helped me remember the good memories I have here. I don’t think I’ve smiled this much for a long time”

“I can hear it, now go and book your ticket. Keep us posted, and please don’t be afraid to ask us if you need more help. We know you’re an independent person, and we respect that. But there’s no shame in asking for some support. We love you, take care and have fun” they finished their goodbyes and Wanda took a moment to digest what had just happened. She was about to see so much of Europe with a guy who she hoped would be interested in her as much as she was him. She wanted to go and tell him, but she didn’t want to disturb him. So instead she went back onto her phone and double-checked his itinerary, making sure she booked the same stops on the same days before buying her ticket. She then packed her bag and took her time having a shower, knowing she had plenty of time but not enough to get any sleep. At four-thirty she did one last sweep of her room and headed out with her bags with a skip in her step, settling down into the same chair she met Vision in, as she knew these last thirty minutes were going to feel like a lifetime. She had her earphones plugged in and was scrolling through her phone when she saw movement down the hallway, and she stood up so fast her phone fell on the floor and yanked her earphones out.

Vision knew it was a long shot, but his heart held the tiniest glimmer of hope when he left his room. He had his head down and his hands on the straps of his backpack when he heard a clatter on the floor. His head shot up and saw Wanda bend down to grab her phone before she faced him. Her bag was on the floor by her feet and she had the train ticket he bought her in her hand.

“I- what… What are you-” he couldn’t talk, that glimmer of hope soaring and taking over his heart as it started to beat faster. she waved the ticket in the air and grinned at him with a smile so bright it could light up the world.

“Am I still allowed to cash this in?” She asked, and suddenly he was in front of her. When did he move?

“Of course you are. Does this mean you’re-”

“You added the two places I mentioned into your trip. How could I not come? I do have one condition though” she smirked and bit her lip.

“Of course, name it. Is it the accommodation? I’ll give our first stop a call when we’re on the train and get them to change it to twin beds-” his words seemed to merge, but all the breath left his lungs when Wanda’s hand rested on his cheek.

“That’s exactly the opposite of my condition” she giggled adorably when his brow furrowed.

“I’m not following?”

“I like you, Vision. And I’m hoping we become something more throughout this trip, which means sharing a bed is required” she smiled so sweetly, and his cheeks flared bright red. But he smiled, that shy, dazzling smile she was falling for.

“I like you too, and I would want nothing more” his hands tentatively raised to cup her face, stroking along her cheekbone with his right thumb as he leaned in and kissed her before his mind could talk him out of it. Wanda instantly relaxed into him, her hand dropping from his cheek and joining her other hand in wrapping around his waist. They reluctantly pulled away, knowing they had to get going if they wanted to catch their train. Without another word Vision bent down to pick up her bag and slid his off his shoulders so that she carried the lighter bag. They both shrugged them over their shoulders and looked at each other with matching smiles.

“Shall we?” Vision held out his hand and Wanda took it in an instant.

“We shall” she reached up on tiptoes to give him one last peck on his lips before they both walked out of the building and headed towards the station, Sokovia holding a very special place in both of their hearts for entirely new reasons.


End file.
